Spring-wheel.



PATENTED APR. 21, 1908.

H. E. HBATON. SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Ill/Il/Illlllll/l IIIIIIIIIII'IIIII'III No. 885,342. PATENTED APR. 21,1908. H. E. HEATON.

' SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1907.

anuenfo'z v im Qvihwomo atto'nnetgo 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HENRY E. HEATON, OF OROVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Apri1 9, 1907.

Patented April 21, 1908.

Serial No. 367,137.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY E. HEATON, citizen of the United States,residing at Oroville, in the county of Butte and State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Wheels, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in'the construction of vehicle Wheels and aims to providea novel meanswhereby all shocks and jars are absorbed through the medium of metallicsprings and thereby prevented from being transmitted to the body of thevehicle.

A further object of the invention is to design a simple and efficientwheel of this character which will be very durable in use and which canbe easily and quickly repaired when necessary. 4

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be. had to the followingdescription and accompanying 'drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a wheel constructed inaccordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional Viewshowing a modified form of ro'tective casing for the spring members. ig.4 is a similar view showing a second modification.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to-in the followingdescription and indicated in. all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The numeral 1 designates the hub of the wheel which is formed with heusual axle receiving opening and whic is provided upon its exterior withthe annular rim or enlargement 2, the outer portion of the rim havingthe annular depression 9 in the periphery thereof. Slipping overopposite ends of the hub l and fitting against the two sides ()f'tllfiannular rim 2 are themetallic rings 3 the outer edges of which projectbeyond the said rim 2, while the inner edges are formed with the flanges4 which may be secured to the hub of the wheel in any suitable manner.The body portion of the wheel comprises the -outer rim 5 to which anyconventional form of tire may be applied, and the inner concentric run 6which 1s connected to the outer run by means of the spokes 7. This innerrim 6 is formed upon its inner face with the annular depression 8 whichfaces the de pression 9 in the annular rim 2 and cooperates therewith toform ample clearance space for the spring members ].0 connecting the huband body portion of the wheel. Fitting against the opposite sides of theinner rim 6 are the reinforcing plates 11, the inner edges of whichproject somewhat beyond the rim.

In the specific construction of the spring members 10 it will beobserved that the same comprise metallic strips having their endportions overlapping and secured to the inner rim 6 and annular rim 2respectively, while their intermediate portions are bowed inwardly andextend between the said inner rim 6 and annular rim 2. These sprin s 10are located alternately upon opposite si( es of the wheel and aredesigned to absorb all shocks and jars brought to bear upon the bodyportion of the wheel and prevent the same from being transmitted to t ehub. the present instance the bolts 12 employed for securing the springmembers 10 in position are passed through the projecting portions of thereinforcing plates 11 and the rings 3 respectively.

11 order to protect the springs 10 from rain and dust and also for thepurpose of reinforcing the wheel it may be found desirable to employguard members such as the circular plates 13 applied to opposite sidesof the wheel. -The central portion of each of these plates is pressedoutwardly to form the flange 14 which fits over the hub and is rigidlyconnected thereto, while the outer portion of each of the lates extendsinwardly toward the spokes. t will also be observed that the peripheralportions of the two plates 13 are connected b fastening members such asbolts 15 whic pass between the spokes 7 and have no direct connectionwith the body of the Wheel,

A slightly modified form of guard plate is shown at 13 in which theoutwardly pressed central flange 14 is secured to the extremity of thehub and the body portion of the guard plate is gradually inclinedinwardly toward the spokes.

A modification is shown in Fi 4 in which the s ring members 10 are intlie nature of meta lic strips having their end portions rigidlyconnected to the annular rim 2 upon the hub and the inner rim 6 of thebody portion of .the wheel respectively. In this form diate portionsbowed and given an approximately U formation, the extremities of thestrips being extended at an angle to the arms of the said U-shapeportion.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a Wheel, the combination of ahub formed with an annular rim havingthe periphery thereof depressed, a body ortion comprismg a rim spacedfrom the sai annu lar nm of the hub and having the inner face thereofdepressed, and s ring members connecting the rim of the hu and the rimof the body portion of the wheel and designed to be received within .theclearance space formed by the before mentioned depressions.

2. In a wheel, the combination of a hub formed with an annular rimhaving the periphery thereof depressed, a body portion comprising aninner rim having the inner face thereof depressed, and spring stripsarranged alternately u on opposite sides of the wheel and having t eirres ective ends connected to the annular rim 0 the hub and the inner rimof the body of the wheel, the middle 'por tions of the springs beingbowed inwardly and operating within the clearance space formed by thebefore mentioned depressions in the rims.

3. In a wheel, the combination of a hub I against the opposite sides ofthe annular rim and projecting outwardlybeyond the same, a body portioncomprising. an inner rim spaced from the annular rim of the hub,reinforcing plates secured to opposite sides of the inner I1II1 andextending mwardly beyond the same, and spring strips having theirrespective ends secured to the inwardly proj ectingportions of thereinforcing platesand the outwardly projecting ed es of the rings, thesaid spring strips having t e intermediate portions thereof bowedinwardly and extendmg between the before mentioned rims.

n testimony whereof I afiix my in presence of two witnesses. HENRY E.HEATON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM W. WILL, WALLACE R. TURNER.

signature

